Youssef Aït Bennasser has been linked with a transfer to Arsenal (Picture: Getty Images)

I doubt there are many people who would have predicted that Arsene Wenger would be the busiest manager from the top four sides in the transfer window.

The Gunners boss is known for being cautious in the transfer market, and was the only Premier League manager not to sign an outfield player in the summer.

However, it seems as if Wenger could be about to surprise us all and go one something of a spending spree.

The Frenchman has virtually tied up a move for FC Basel’s Mohamed Elneny and looks very keen on a few other targets, one of whom is reportedly AS Nancy’s 19-year-old Youssef Aït Bennasser.

Bennasser is a Moroccan youth international and has made the breakthrough into the starting line-up for his club in Ligue 2, pushing Remi Walter down the pecking order despite the latter midfielder’s seniority.

He seems like a perfect Arsene Wenger signing. He’s young, relatively unknown, and plying his trade in Ligue 2 and would come at a price that makes Wenger less stressed with his life.

Mathieu Flamini is expected to leave Arsenal at the end of the season (Picture: Getty Images)

On the face of it, Arsenal are overflowing with midfielders, but Tomas Rosicky, Mikel Arteta and Mathieu Flamini are all out of contract in the summer and it’s hard to see any of them being offered new deal, the first two because of their age and ongoing injury problems and Flamini because he’s simply not good enough.

It’s hard to think that Wenger will actually bring in two midfielders during this window, but I wouldn’t be too quick to write this rumour off entirely.

We could well see the Gunners laying the groundwork now and coming back to complete the deal for him in the summer.

I normally dismiss 99 per cent of transfer rumours that I come across at this time of year, but this one seems like it might have a little something to it.

Of course, that’s a long way from seeing the player turn up at the Emirates in an Arsenal shirt, but this could well be one worth keeping an eye on.